looking for some basic advice MDF advice.

[Matted]

Hi All...

So, after years and years of thinking about this Ive bought a table saw!...and I built a frame for it out of 2x4 and everything...and its on wheels so im now feeling pretty pleased with myself!

But now its time to make something practical (for the home) with it and im looking for some advice.

My plan is to build a simple shelving unit with a draw or two that will fit inside my airing cupboard, dimensions would be something like 130 x 100 x60 . The plan is to learn some things, probably make some mistakes, but ultimately its not a big deal as it will be hidden away.

Im thinking about MDF and Dowels for most of the construction - simply due to cost (and the likely hood Ill screw it up). Are there any considerations I need to think about with MDF, would plywood be a better option in this case, does MDF cope okay with heat from an airing cupboard? I really dont know.

I even plan to paint it....not that anyone will see it, but its this is all about learning.

Any thoughts Id love to hear them, and sorry for what must seem like a really silly question.

 

[Lazurus]

Depending on planned usage you could use pine with slats to allow heat to circulate. Use simple joints or pocket holes to join, I have never had much luck with dowels, no need to paint pine another advantage.

 

[lurker]

I'd go for slats too.

I have successfully used MDF in torsion box construction for painted shelves and it works well.
A sheet of MDF alone as a shelf will slowly sag in my experience.

 

[Marineboy]

Avoid MDF. Though it is a great material in many circumstances, for what you are proposing I’d go for pine slats as suggested. If you are looking to make drawers from MDF and using dowels, it would need to be 18mm which would make them very heavy. As it will be a functional rather than decorative item, just use 12mm ply butt jointed and screwed/glued.

 

[Matted]

cheers chaps - I should have explained a little better.

The cupboard is actually quite large (its double doored) and has slatted shelves in it at the moment, these will be staying. But it has this empty area at the bottom thats a dumping ground for sleeping bags and shoes - stuff just gets thrown in there. So its this area Im looking to fill with something more purposeful.

So the unit (whatever that is) will not just be horizontal shelves - Id plan to have perhaps a shoe rack/shelve/draw unit of some kind.

that said - More basic shelves would work well to, and perhaps that will be the best option.